Controversial Carnival Cruise Picture

• Tweet
• Sharebar

• Tweet

Here’s a story that has been making the rounds, one that may be of interest to you guys. The story comes to you from aboard the Carnival splendor. Apparently during one of the line cruise ship behind the scenes tours a passenger noticed and subsequently photographed a controversial e-mail which was printed out and posted on the bulletin board. What was on the e-mail, you ask? What makes it so controversial? Well, this particular e-mail containing the names of the passengers who chose to remove the prepaid gratuities from their cruise ship accounts. So, in case you have ever wondered whether or not the ship’s crew knows who has tipped them the answer is a resounding yes. Naturally, this leads to the question, is service impacted by how or when you choose to tip.

Now, first you want to get out of the way is the notion that all of you if you choose to remove the automatic tipping option are cheap. While it is true that some people choose not to automatically tip because they have no intentions of tipping, many choose to tip in cash based on the level of service they receive. The problem with this is the crew may mistake those who claim to tip in cash as simply being cheapskates. A problem which can lead to all sorts of misconceptions, rumors, urban legends or possibly even poor service. It has already started. I have seen this list jokingly (by cruisers not the crew) referred to as "the spit in your food list". Many others wonder if reports of inconsistent service can be linked to this list. In the very near future I can see cruisers fearful of removing the auto fit for fear of what may happen to their French onion soup in between the galley and a table. Fears, that will almost assuredly originate from some urban legend concocted on a message board. It’s amazing what damage an overactive imagination can cause.

What is carnivals reaction to the leaked picture

Here is a quote taken from the New York Post. Apparently they contacted the Carnival spokesperson wondering if the posting of these e-mails were standard operating procedure, here is the response.

I’ve confirmed that this is absolutely not standard protocol and should not have happened. Crew members are not informed of which guests removed their gratuities until after the voyage is completed and guests have disembarked. This information should not have been posted and shoreside management is in communication with this vessel to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Thank you for bringing it to our attention."

While I am not sure if I believe this statement in its entirety, it is Carnival’s story and they’re sticking to it.

The intelligent cruisers stance on auto tipping

Personally, I always choose to use the auto tip option whenever available. I usually don’t carry a lot of cash while cruising, so to me just seems easier. Now, I am not afraid to admit that there was one instance where I chose to reduce the tip to one member of the wait staff, however, he was especially horrible. Our water glasses were never filled, we had to ask for bread every day, received dirty looks and he was just generally rude. Normally, with the level of work and commitment to excellence that most of these crew members exhibit I don’t really see a reason why I would choose to reduce the tip. As far as tipping based on the level of service I receive, if someone provides exceptional service to me during my vacation I have no problem giving them a bit extra in cash.

Related posts:

1. Royal Caribbean ‘s Controversial New Menu Item
2. Odd Cruise Picture: Paul Allen’s Yacht, “The Octopus”
3. Fanmail Friday: January 30th Edition